Rapha Pro Team Gloves

Design looks inspired by B'Twin.

I've not tried these so I can't comment either way but there are a lot of mediocre gloves out there that are generally too warm/sweaty/bulky or at the other end of the scale. Looking at how many pairs I've bought and found to be unsatisfactory spending 70 quid on the right pair might not be such a bad thing.

drosco wrote:

I do enough bad weather miles to say with authority that nobody needs to spend £70 on gloves. In this era of Sky's 'marginal gains', or perhaps 'cycling is the new golf', there's clearly no limit to what people will pay. The reality is you can get pretty much everything you need from cycling for a relatively meage budget. Assuming you're just worried about the riding, not your image that is.

Get 'em in the sale like most people and you'll pay a lot less.

I go for the cheap gloves for the most part (btwin), at least for the commute and while they are fine up to a point, they do fall apart after a season, are bulky and sweaty/smelly.

The best pair I own are some Gore gloves I bought in the sale for around £40. Sometimes you can pay extra and get something better.

I've no idea what 'windtex' is, but my favoured gloves are these. They can be picked up cheaply and are really comfortable down to about 5 degrees. Light, with very little bulk. Only downside is they tend to wear on the thumbs and palms relatively quickly, but I do a lot of miles. 

Stueys wrote:

I've a pair of these and they are excellent.  Very comfortable and work well between 4 degrees and 12, though I get cold hands.  Really a quality product, I struggle with gloves and tried various makes until I hit on these. 

I also run the deep winter gloves in cold weather.  Equally great.

Generally can we quit with the tired, predictable comments on pricing and image whenever Rapha products are reviewed.   A 9k bike or Assos gear doesn't attract the same response so why the anti-Rapha movement?

Because as a brand it's pretentious, elitist and ubiquitous.

Stueys wrote:

Generally can we quit with the tired, predictable comments on pricing and image whenever Rapha products are reviewed.   A 9k bike or Assos gear doesn't attract the same response so why the anti-Rapha movement?

 

You can tell that you havn't been here for long.

drosco wrote:

Stueys wrote:

I've a pair of these and they are excellent.  Very comfortable and work well between 4 degrees and 12, though I get cold hands.  Really a quality product, I struggle with gloves and tried various makes until I hit on these. 

I also run the deep winter gloves in cold weather.  Equally great.

Generally can we quit with the tired, predictable comments on pricing and image whenever Rapha products are reviewed.   A 9k bike or Assos gear doesn't attract the same response so why the anti-Rapha movement?

Because as a brand it's pretentious, elitist and ubiquitous.

I'm curious as to how it manages to be elitist and ubiquitous.

Pretentious and elitist - count me in: I've got to find something to spend my lapsed golf membership money on.

[/quote] Because as a brand it's pretentious, elitist and ubiquitous.[/quote]

...both elitist and everywhere?  I can't resist pointing out that contradiction - no doubt borne of a clever marketing strategy: make top quality stuff that lasts ages and those who do wear it swear by; offer to replace it without question if it breaks; offer a crash repair services AND give you half your money back if you drop a size within a year... (oh and comparably high re-sale values on eBay if you want to sell)....

I cycle between 15-20,000 km a year, regardless of weather.  I don't want soggy, ill-fitting, non-breathable kit with seams that disintegrate when damp - along with the interest of the manufacturer once they've got your money.   Whilst not cheap, my worn daily Rapha gloves were a bargain mate. 

drosco wrote:

Chris Hayes wrote:

 

Because as a brand it's pretentious, elitist and ubiquitous.

...both elitist and everywhere?  I can't resist pointing out that contradiction - no doubt borne of a clever marketing strategy: make top quality stuff that lasts ages and those who do wear it swear by; offer to replace it without question if it breaks; offer a crash repair services AND give you half your money back if you drop a size within a year... (oh and comparably high re-sale values on eBay if you want to sell)....

I cycle between 15-20,000 km a year, regardless of weather.  I don't want soggy, ill-fitting, non-breathable kit with seams that disintegrate when damp - along with the interest of the manufacturer once they've got your money.   Whilst not cheap, my worn daily Rapha gloves were a bargain mate. 

[/quote]

I'm not doubting they're good gloves, I don't think Rapha are unique in providing clothing that fits well and is functional however. If they're good for you, then great though. I agree that life's too short to wear rubbish kit.

Regarding why people don't like Rapha, someone asked the question so I answered. For me it's to cycling what craft lager is to drinking. Take something simple, sociable and 'relatively' affordable, add some marketing about breadiness and citrus notes, package nicely, double the price and voila, a whole new thing to be snobbish about. Beer isn't to be enjoyed, it's to be appreciated. Riding isn't about fun, it's about 'Glory through suffering'. Honestly, for someone who got his first road bike 30 years ago and has been enjoying riding them ever since, I find Raphas carefully crafted image absolutely cringe inducing and it's no suprise it's polarising. 

If people like it and don't mind paying for it, fine and it is easy to criticise, apologies. It's just not for me.   

[/quote]

Then do us all a favour and stop commenting with your cut and paste replies every time this website posts something about Rapha.

drosco wrote:

Regarding why people don't like Rapha, someone asked the question so I answered. For me it's to cycling what craft lager is to drinking.

Heh.

I tick all the boxes, then. Bought a pair of these gloves when they were on sale. And I bloody love the rise of craft beer. It's not that long ago that when you went to the pub, you had a choice between generic 4% session lager, generic 5% wife-beater, and a muddy pint of traditional bitter.
I love the fact that you've now got the option of drinking something that's just way, way more interesting. While still getting you just as drunk as Stella does. 

I also love the fact that it's also making mainstream pubs and brewers lift their game. 
I'll still drink Stella if I have to, and I'll still have fun getting drunk. I'm not a beer snob. But I'd much rather get drunk on something that's way more interesting.

I reckon you've hit on a pretty good analogy for the way that brands like Rapha have affected cycling. I'm just coming at it from a different direction to you. 

You can still buy a pair of cheap bibshorts if you want, just like you can still drink Stella if you want. And they'll still do a job, just like Stella will still get you pissed. You can still have all the fun of heading out on a bike ride if you're wearing cheap shorts, just like you can still have all the fun of heading out to the pub if you're drinking Stella. 

And even if you never buy a pair of Rapha shorts or a pint of craft beer, you'll probably still get the benefit of the way that high end brands have driven up standards across the board, just like craft beer has forced a lot of lazy pubs and brewers to up their game.

So it's win/win. You still get what you want to do. Other people get to do what they want to do. True, your eyes might be offended by a few arty, pretentious craft beer ads. And a few arty, pretentious Rapha ads. But most ads have always been shit. They're just shit in different ways. 

And you might be bored witless by a few dull conversations about craft beer, and a few dull conversations about "suffering". But pub bores have always been pub bores. And cycling bores have always been cycling bores. They're now just boring on different subjects.  

TL:DR : It's all good. I've got some nice gloves and some nice beer, and you didn't have to pay for any of it...